Era of Mist

The man was in his mid-thirties, wearing a suit and glasses. He had the air of both a businessman and a scholar, making it hard to tell his background.

He immediately spotted the practice sheets in Si Chongtian’s hands—he couldn’t help it. When Little Dog got excited, he really went for it, practically waving the papers around like a flag. It was hard not to see them.

Then, the man in glasses snatched the practice sheets away. He pushed up his glasses, a nitpicky, critical expression on his face. "Let me see what kind of skill this so-called ’young calligraphy master’ really has!"

’This is bad!’

Shi Tiexin’s heart sank. People working in the factory area were required to wear work uniforms, but this man was in a suit. He had to be from the office. Though Shi Tiexin didn’t recognize him, the fact that he could snatch the papers from Si Chongtian’s grasp meant he clearly possessed a considerable level of Force Arts cultivation.

With that level of cultivation, he had to be a mid-to-high-level manager in the office.

If this man reported him for doing things unrelated to his duties while on watch, it would be trouble. Little Dog could probably smooth things over, but it would still cause unnecessary complications and leave a bad impression.

So, Shi Tiexin opened his mouth to explain. "Sir, actually..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Quiet, don’t talk!" The man in glasses immediately cut Shi Tiexin off. He didn’t even look up, just pushed his glasses up again and scrutinized the calligraphy practice sheets. After a moment, he suddenly looked up at Shi Tiexin. "You wrote this?"

’It’s over. He’s definitely here to make trouble.’

But with things having come to this, there was no way out. Shi Tiexin puffed out his chest. "That’s right. I did."

The man in glasses sized Shi Tiexin up for a long moment, then suddenly beckoned. "You, come with me. And, uh, you there—take over for him!"

’Looks like this guy doesn’t recognize the Eldest Young Master Si.’

With no other choice, Shi Tiexin could only follow. The two of them walked out the side door of the factory building, one behind the other. Outside, Night had already fallen. On the dimly lit factory road, the man in glasses led Shi Tiexin a few steps before suddenly pulling him close and asking in a low voice, "Let me ask you again, are you sure you’re the one who wrote this?"

’Uh... what’s going on? This sneaky behavior doesn’t seem like he’s about to report me.’

"That’s right, it was me."

"You write really well, little brother! Your basic rhetoric skills are quite high, and your regular script has real strength and structure!" The man in glasses clapped Shi Tiexin on the back. "Not bad, not bad at all. It’s too early to call you a master, but your skill is definitely solid. Say, what if I offered you a side job? Interested?"

’He’s... he’s actually offering me a side gig?!’

"What kind of job?"

"Writing business cards."

"Business cards?"

’Huh? I don’t think I quite understand the job description.’

"That’s right, business cards." The man in glasses explained, "Brother, I’ll be straight with you. City Hall has declared this a ’cultural year,’ and the Star Engineering United Group has to answer the call by having its subordinate units develop their own corporate culture. And for culture, you’ve got to do something special. I’m planning to do something retro and bring back paper business cards. But printed cards don’t exactly scream ’culture,’ so, little brother—"

SLAP. The man in glasses clapped Shi Tiexin’s shoulder. "Help me write the business cards. The quality needs to be the same as your practice sheets! I’ll give you one point for every ten cards. What do you say? You in?"

’Hell yeah! Why wouldn’t I? This is like getting a pillow when you’re sleepy! I was just wondering how to use my skills to make some money, and a business opportunity lands right in my lap!’

But there was still one question. "How many do you need?"

"Four hundred to start." The man in glasses looked around conspiratorially, as if discussing a huge deal, then lowered his voice. "Don’t think that’s too few! This is just the initial phase! Once you’ve made them, if the results are good, I’ll apply to the company to make it an official project. Then we’ll issue them to the entire company! With all our business dealings, can you imagine the volume? And if we take it a step further and it becomes a standard corporate culture project, how big will the orders be then?"

"So, little brother, can you do it or not? If not, I’ll find someone else!"

’Holy shit, what else is there to say?’

Shi Tiexin nodded. "I’m in!"

’But why is everything being done so furtively, like we’re a couple of thieves?’

"Good. You do a good job, little brother, and I’ll cover all the costs for brushes, ink, and materials. If this really works out, we can... ’renegotiate’ the price later." He rubbed three fingers together. "You get me?"

’Oh, I get it. I get it. Isn’t this just us colluding to inflate the price and embezzle company funds? Let’s embezzle away!’

’It’s that bastard Liu Qigang’s turf, so I’ll embezzle with a vengeance!’

And just like that, the deal was struck!

The man in glasses left his contact information and departed, thoroughly satisfied. When Shi Tiexin returned to Factory No. 2, he still wore an expression of disbelief.

He looked at Si Chongtian and asked hesitantly, "I just got a side gig, and it’s perfect for me. By the way, did you arrange this? I find it hard to believe something this good would just happen for no reason."

"It’s true that good things don’t happen for no reason, but I absolutely did not arrange this!"

"Then how..."

"Big Brother Tie, all I can say is that fate favors the diligent, and opportunity always presents itself to those who are prepared." Si Chongtian waved Shi Tiexin’s practice sheets, his face lit up with a brilliant, joyful smile. "Look at your calligraphy. Isn’t this excellent writing the ’reason’ you’re looking for?"

Shi Tiexin stood stunned for a long moment, then finally understood.

He suddenly got it. He was still the Iron Tyrant from the Orphanage, but he wasn’t *just* the Iron Tyrant anymore. He had never encountered such a good opportunity before because he had never had such good handwriting before.

What happened today might have been a coincidence, but it was predicated on a certainty: you need to have the skills to back it up. In the future, as his abilities improved, his opportunities would multiply, and his life would become richer and more exciting.

"Yes, strength is the ultimate reason."

Shi Tiexin suddenly smiled too.

The next second, his expression turned extremely strange.

Because he had suddenly discovered an excellent way to make a fortune, one he had previously overlooked, which, if successful, could be incredibly lucrative.

He took two steps forward, staring blankly at his practice sheets, when a xenon headlight seemed to switch on above his head with a DING.

Calligraphy?

Calligraphy...

Calligraphy!

That’s it, calligraphy! It’s all about the calligraphy! Calligraphy is the best way to make money!

At 12:30 AM, after eating, showering, and saying goodbye to Little Dog Egg, Shi Tiexin returned to the Orphanage, clutching a large stack of blank white cards and special stationery and ink. He shut the door, closed the window, and bolted the lock, his movements as secretive as a spy’s.

CLICK. He switched on the desk lamp, and Shi Tiexin’s dark face appeared in the single cone of light in the otherwise pitch-black room.

Looking down at the paper on his desk, Shi Tiexin suddenly muttered to himself, "Speaking of which, is there money in piracy?"